LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHIC DETERMINATION OF PHENOLIC-ACIDS IN SOIL

A rapid and sensitive method is described for the determination of phenolic acid concentrations in soil. The method consists of extraction with 0.1M NaOH for 16 h, centrifugation, filtration, pH adjustment to reduce detector interference, and liquid chromatographic separation on a C18 column and UV detection at 280 nm. Recoveries of 6 phenolic acids (ferulic, p-coumaric, caffeic, syringic, vanillic, and p-hydroxybenzoic) were 58,100, 0, 66, 83, and 123%, respectively. The limits of detection were 0.5 mug/g for p-hydroxybenzoic, vanillic, and syringic acids and 1.0 mug/g for ferulic and p-coumaric acids. Caffeic acid was not detectable with this method.